The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1887-02-17
THE PRESIDENTS VETO


OF the depe dent pension bill vas a
righteous thing and will, no doubt, be
sustained by public sentiment. fhe
astonishing thing is that such vicious
bill should pass Congress.
1t was simply another scheme of pub
lie plQnderl under the pretense OF
patriotism. 1t was an insult to honest
soldiers and all good citizens, and put p
premium on perjury and tpauperism.
The surprise is that such q measure
should receive support and get througl
Congress. M.
As the President claims no country
sver was so generous to her soldiers; but
this bill was not proper pension act,
as the object was not to provide pensions
for wounds, disease, meritorious service
or any cause for which pensions should
properly be granted.
Under the bill 1t was not necessary
that man should have seen service;
only that his name should have been on
the rolls and that he should confess him.
self dependent, and hewOuld secure $l2
a month. Had the bill become law
the pension list would have soon re-
quired an annual outlay of $3.50, ,000. 600
instead of $75,OO00OO as now.
The Presidents veto no doubt settles
this mammoth job. Leading Republi-
can papers have been OutspOksn against
the measure. Among these are the Chi
csgo Tribune. Boston Traveller, Boston
Transcript and many others. The Gin
CHINA Times-Star, Republican, said the
bill was ian insult to honest soldiers
who are struggling to support them
selves, and an outrage on the govern
ment, which is made to O'tax worthy sol
diers for the support Of the unworthy
The psuper pension bill Is perversiOn
of the theory Of military pensions un-
known in any civilized country on earth
and soldiers should be the 6rst to resent
1t and protest against it." The Buffalo
Express says; The. psuper pension bill
makes no distinction between the good
soldiers and the bad, the fighters and the
soup coolers" The Providence Journal
refers to the disability pension bill of
1918 as a precedent. The estimate of the
cost under that bill was $4,000 yearly
and 1t exceeded two millions, ."while
the fraud and perjury developed were
such as to require supplementary act
to clear the pension roll Of impostOrs.
1t was," says the Journal, "sn invitation
to mendicancy and dishonesty and
brought discredit for many years upon
the name Of revolutionary pensiOner.
The bill, however, was but drop In
the bucket compared with the whole
sale raid upon the bounty Of the ma
tiOn through the bill to pension the SOL
diers of the rebellion who served ninety
days, and while every one is willing to
help the deserving and disabled veteran,
the work had better be done In some
more restricted way" The Philadelphia
North American says the bill sis radi-
cally unsOund In principle, and it in
wolves the expenditure of millions of
dollars yearly" The Rutland, Vt, Her
aid opposed it because "such law will
tend to create dependent GLASS;" and
that while every citizen ought to de-
light In paying the debt of gratitude the
nation owes the soldiers, yet unneces-
sary pensions are not the proper modes
of expression" The Troy Times denies
that there Is any general desire mani
tested by genuine soldiers for such legis-
latiOn. 1t claims that "the pressure Is |
applied meinly BY claim agents and at |
torneys, who see In the perspective vast |
opportunities for gain for themselves
through fees to be obtained by the pros
ecutiOn Of applications, But aside from
all pretense Of obtaining benefits for |
soldiers and sailors the general interest |
is worthy Of some consideration. 1t Is
q serious question whether If this pen.
sion business be extended according to |
the plans now developed, the govern
ment will not ultimately be bankrupt"
The POughkeepsie Eagle was of opinion
that II the bill became law "giving a |
pension to every soldier who Is sick or
lazy, no matter how he became 30, there
won't be any surplus. 1t is much more
likely that the next Congress will have
to hunt around for some way to increase
TIE revenue so as to make both ends
meet" TIE st. Paul PlOneer-Press asks:
isn't this carrying the pension busl-
ness a trife too fsrp" The Pittsburg
Commercial Gazette emphatIcally de-
clared that "Verily the time has come
for calling halt In this pension busi-
ness"
The big strike Of the freight handlers
In New York, Brooklyn and Jersey City,